OFAC announces second round of sanctions removals and updates in modernization

OFAC took the second major action under Treasury's sanctions modernization initiative announced by Secretary Bessent in May, removing 84 individuals and entities from the SDN List and improving identifying information for 22 list entries. The action targets outdated entries no longer aligned with U.S. national security or foreign policy priorities, including deceased individuals, defunct entities, and decades-old designations lacking sufficient screening data, following interagency review to confirm removal would not harm foreign policy or national security interests. Key takeaways: 1. Removals: 84 individuals/entities delisted, focused on stale, low-value entries (deceased persons, defunct entities, 20+ year-old designations). 2. Data quality fixes: 22 entries updated with more robust identifiers (DOB, POB, ID numbers, nationality, gender) rather than removed, where retention was still warranted but screening was hampered by thin data. 3. Duplicate resolution: 18 sets of duplicate entries resolved (same person/property listed more than once).